Three Injured In Texas Rollover Crash

Texas Department of Safety (DPS) troopers are investigating the causes and conditions surrounding a single-vehicle crash on the President George Bush Turnpike in Irving. The Texas rollover crash occurred just after 3:00 am on Sunday, December 29, 2019. All three vehicle occupants were taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital with serious injuries.

In a rollover accident, the vehicle tips onto its side or flips over onto its roof. These car accidents have a much higher fatality rate than other types of collisions, and comprise almost 20 percent of all fatal crashes. Rollovers can be divided into two categories: tripped (caused by impact) and untripped. Force from an external object causes a tripped rollover, such as when your car hits a curb or crashes into another vehicle. It can also be caused by speed and friction with the ground, making it an untripped rollover.

Causes of Rollover Accidents

If the right sequence of events occurs, almost any car or motor vehicle can roll over; however, taller vehicles such as SUVs and cargo vans are more apt to do so due to their higher center of gravity. In addition, some of the most common causes of rollover accidents include:

• Loss of control: The most common cause of a rollover accident is a driver losing control of a vehicle. Falling asleep at the wheel, using a phone, or otherwise driving distracted can all cause a driver to lose focus and control. Striking a curb or other obstruction in the roadway may throw off a vehicle’s center of gravity. The forward momentum may cause the vehicle to roll over onto its side or roof.
• Speeding: Rollover accidents are more closely associated with speeding than any other type of motor vehicle accident. Most rollover rashes occur on roads where speed limits are 55 miles per hour or greater. Additionally, excessive speeding directly causes about 40 percent of rollovers, according to the NHTSA.
• Drugs or alcohol: When drivers are impaired, the probability of a rollover crash is much higher. Drivers who are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs don’t drive as safely and are more likely make mistakes, endangering the safety of others.
• Rural roads: Roads with clear divisions and barriers help decrease the risk of accidents, but rural road safety measures can tend to deviate from those implemented in the big cities. As a result, almost 75 percent of fatal rollovers happen on rural roads and in rural areas.
• Vehicle defects: Design or manufacturing defects in vehicles could also lead to rollover collisions. Many vehicles today come with electronic stability control or ESC, a feature that helps prevent rollover collisions. However, when this feature doesn’t work properly, vehicles may be more prone to rolling over. Some vehicles such as SUVs are more prone to rolling over because of the way they are designed.

If you or a loved one were injured or killed in a Texas rollover crash, it can be hard to know exactly who or what caused the accident and the resulting injuries. It could be another driver, it could be road conditions, or it could even be a defect built into the vehicle. Even if you think you know what caused the auto accident, additional contributing factors can exist.

Texas Rollover Crash Lawyers

Cases involving rollover accidents are extremely complex. Different types of vehicles are more prone to rolling over than others, causing injury and death to drivers and passengers. Also, roadways that aren’t properly designed and/or maintained can contribute to rollover accidents. If you or a loved one were in a rollover accident, your vehicle may have been particularly prone to rollovers and/or roadway conditions may have contributed to your accident. You may be entitled to seek compensation for your injuries, so contact Craft Law Firm today to speak with one of our experienced trial attorneys about your case.